1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projector control system and a projector control method, for example, to a projector control system and a projector control method in which control information and/or projection information are sent to one or more projectors connected through a communication line, and operation information is received from the projector in order to centrally manage and control each of the projectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the conventional projector system connected to a network. In FIG. 12, a projector 20, a notebook-sized personal computer 30, a server 40, desktop personal computers 51, 52, 53, and 54 are individually connected to a network 10. Furthermore, tablets 61, 62, 63, and 64 are directly connected to the projector 20.
Control information and projection data from the notebook-sized personal computer 30 are sent to the projector 20 through the network 10, and a predetermined data is projected onto the projection screen 70. Also, the notebook-sized personal computer 30 sends the control information to the server 40 or desktop personal computers 51, 52, 53, and 54 through the network 10. Projection information stored in the server 40 or desktop personal computers 51, 52, 53, and 54 is sent to the projector 20 based on the control information.
Accordingly, for example, by just bringing the projector 20 and the notebook-sized personal computer 30 in a conference room, projection data stored in the desktop personal computers 51, 52, 53, and 54, or the server 40, which are located in another place, can be freely projected.
Further, from the tablets 61, 62, 63, and 64, information can be directly entered into the projector 20, and information can be added and changed onto the projected information.
Furthermore, if the projection data has been sent to the projector 20 in advance, the projection data can be projected in a disconnected state to the network 10 or independent of the notebook-sized personal computer 30.
Although the conventional projector system is configured as described above, and it is possible to project projection data stored in a personal computer or a server located in another place. Thus the projector system contributes to information sharing and increasing projection efficiency.
The conventional projector system described above has the above-described effects, there have been the following demands:
(1) A demand for simultaneous projection onto more than one projector in a conference room with many people or a large exhibition hall.
(2) Also, in school, a demand for projecting specific projection data onto more than one projector installed at each classroom, etc. simultaneously for all classes in the school, or a demand for projecting specific projection data for classes of an individual grade.
(3) Also, a demand for constituting a huge projection screen using more than one projector by dividing projection data to be projected on the huge screen, and allocating a projector to each of the divided data individually.
(4) Furthermore, a demand for managing and controlling one or more projectors centrally.
The present invention is made in order to meet these demands, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a projector control system and a projector control method in which desired projection data can be projected as desired for one or more projectors without connecting a personal computer, etc. to each of the projectors, and furthermore, one or more projectors can be managed/controlled centrally.
In view of the above-described problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projector control system including: one or more projectors; a control unit for controlling the projector; and a communication line for connecting the projector and the control unit by two-way communications. By this means, projection information is distributed and displayed onto a plurality of projectors simultaneously, and operation state of each projector is grasped. Thus it becomes possible for the control unit to manage and control each projector simultaneously.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit may includes: a control information sending/receiving part which sends/receives control information to/from the projector; a projector management part which registers and manages a projector connected to the communication line; and a monitoring/control supervising part which sends control information to the projector through the control information sending/receiving part, receives operation information of the projector through the control information sending/receiving part, and monitors/controls the projector.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit may include: a projection information storage part for holding projection information; and a projection information sending part for sending projection information to the projector.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the projector may include: a control information sending/receiving part which sends/receives control information to/from the control unit; and a projection control part which controls the projector based on the control information from the control unit.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the projector may include: a control information sending/receiving part which sends/receives control information to/from the control unit; a projection information receiving part which receives projection information from the control unit; and a projection control part which is controlled based on the control information from the control unit, and analyzes and projects projection information from the control unit.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to further include synchronous control means by which the control unit and each of the projectors are synchronized with respect to projection. By this means, in a projection performed by a plurality of projectors, a screen in the same state can be viewed simultaneously on any one of the projectors.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit may include a group management part which registers and manages the projectors in groups. By this means, it becomes easy to manage and control the projectors in groups.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit and each projector may be connected to a network. By this means, communication between each of the projectors becomes possible in addition to the communication between the control unit and each of the projectors.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit and each projector may be connected via a USB connection. By this means, the control unit and each projector can be connected easily without setting network configuration or the like.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit may include an information input part which inputs information into the control unit. By this means, various control information and projection information can be entered from the outside of the system.
In a projector control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit may include projector detection means which detects a projector connected to the communication line. By this means, a projector which has been newly connected to the communication line can be automatically detected.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a projector, in which a system comprising a control unit connected to one or more projectors through a communication line is used, the method including: a step for making a state capable of communication between the control unit and the projector; a step for sending control information of the projector from the control unit to the projector; and a step for disconnecting the state capable of communication between the control unit and the projector. By this means, each of the projectors can be controlled centrally.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to further include a step for obtaining operation information of the projector, which the control unit is in the state capable of communication with, from the projector by the control unit. By this means, each of the projectors can be monitored centrally.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit may send control information and/or projection information to all the projectors simultaneously. By this means, it becomes possible to simultaneously control a plurality of projectors and/or simultaneously project an image on a plurality of projectors.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit may send control information and/or projection information to a specific projector among the projectors. By this means, it becomes possible to individually control a projector or individually project an image on a projector.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to further include a synchronous control step for synchronizing projections between the control unit and each of the projectors when projecting on more than one projector simultaneously. By this means, it become possible to project the same content simultaneously on a plurality of projectors currently operating, and to combine a plurality of projectors currently operating to project one image.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the synchronous control step may include: a step for sending control information from the control unit to the projector; a step for returning a processing status for the control information from the projector, which has received the control information to the control unit: and a step for adjusting projection timing of the projector by the control unit based on the processing status of the projector. By this means, time deviation of projection among each of the projectors can be corrected.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the synchronous control step may include: a step for sending control information from the control unit to the projector; a step for returning a processing status for the control information by the projector which has received the control information to the control unit; and a step for excluding the projector which has not completed the processing for the control information in a predetermined time period, from the object of projector to perform the simultaneous projection, by the control unit. By this means, a projector which has a relatively large projection time deviation among each of the projectors is excluded from the object of simultaneous projection.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to further include a step for specifying a specific projector as a host projector out of the projectors by the control unit; and a step for sending control information and projection information to the other projector by the specified host projector. By this means, a host projector can partly take charge of the control unit, and thus the load of the control unit can be reduced.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, synchronous control processing may be performed between the host projector and the other projectors.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the method may further include a step for registering a projector which is connected to the control unit via a network into the control unit, by entering a projector name and an IP address of each projector from outside of the system.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the method may further include a step for registering a projector which is connected to the control unit through a communication line into the control unit, by automatically detecting each projector.
Furthermore, in a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the method may include a step for registering a projector which is connected to the control unit through a network, by a projector name.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, the method may further include a step for sending control information by broadcast from the control unit to the projectors, a step for returning a projector name and an IP address from each projector to the control unit so that the control unit obtains them, and a step for comparing a registered projector name with the obtained set of the projection name and the IP address to identify the projector. By this means, even if an IP address is changed, it becomes possible to identify a projector.
In a method of controlling a projector according to the second aspect of the present invention, registration of a projector into the control unit may be performed using a projector name, a connection method between the control unit and the projector, and a projector identification code.